Fruit-jar gripper.



No. 663,619. Patented Dec. ll, I900. A. WERNER.

FRUIT JAR GRIPPER.

{Application filed Sept. 21. 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ADOLPH W'ERNER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FRUIT-JAR GRIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,619, dated December 11, 1900.

Application filed September 21,1900. SerialNo. 30,710. (No model.)

To all witrmt it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADOLPH WERNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Jar Grippers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and economical tool for handling fruitjars of various sizes; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combi nation of parts constituting a fruit-jar grip per, such as is hereinafter particularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

Figure l of the drawings represents a partlysectional plan view of a tool in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same, also partly in section; and Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of a portion of the tool.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates a flexible annular band made from a strip of flat metal, preferably spring-steel, the ends of the band being lapped one upon the other. One end of the band is provided with a longitudinal slot 19, open at its outer extremity, and the band branches 0 adjacent to the slot are recurved to form eyes (Z for a pivot e, that also engages a lever B intermediate of said eyes, this lever having the function hereinafter specified. The lever is preferably made by stamping a plate of sheetsteel in a suitable press, its general outlines being substantially those herein shown, and it is also preferable to employ a wooden handle 0, made fast on said lever.

The preferably-notched inner end of lever B is engageable with the rack edge of a metal fin D, made fast on the non-slotted end of the band A and preferably provided with a tang f, upon which a wooden handle E is herein shown, said fin being caught in the aforesaid slot.

The band A is expanded or contracted to fit fruit-jars of varying diameter, and, being positioned on a jar, it is locked in place by the engagement of the lever B with the rackfin D and a swing of said lever toward the fintang or handle E thereon, this operation serving to effectually clamp said band on the jar. Inasmuch as the tool is clamped in working position, the necessity for continuous pressure on the part of the operator to keep it in place is obviated.

The herein-described tool may also be utilized as a wrench to manipulate the screwcaps of fruit-jars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A tool comprising a flexible band, the ends of which lap one another, one of said ends being provided with a longitudinal slot, a slot-engaging rack-fin in connection with the band, a pivot engaging recurved extremities of the bandbranches adjacent to said slot, and a lever on the pivot engageable with the rack-fin.

2. A tool comprising a flexible band, the ends of which lap one another, one of said ends being provided with a longitudinal slot, a slot-engaging rack-fin in connection with the band, a lever in pivotal connection with the slotted end of said band engageable with the rack-fin, and handles in union with the lever and fin.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

ADOLPH WERNER.

Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, B. O. RoLoFF. 

